Overview

• The Supreme Court overturned a previous ruling by the Madrid Provincial Court that had rejected the City Council’s claim due to alleged misidentification of the sculptures.
• The contested works are two Romanesque statues attributed to Maestro Mateo that once adorned the cathedral’s Pórtico de la Gloria.
• Santiago de Compostela’s council purchased the pieces in 1948 from the Count of Ximonde before they were sent to the Franco family’s Pazo de Meirás in 1954.
• The legal bid began against Carmen Franco Polo and was maintained against her heirs after her death.
• City officials say the verdict marks a significant recovery of Santiago de Compostela’s historical and artistic patrimony.